Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting

Why in News?

Recently, Indian Government has launched the System of Weather Forecast at Gram Panchayat Level.

What is Gram Panchayat level weather forecasting?

It is part of the Government's 100 Days Agenda and reflects a Whole of Government approach.
Launch – It was launched in 2024, a joint programme of
- Panchayat Raj Ministry
- India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- Ministry of Earth Sciences
Aim – It is aimed at empowering rural communities and enhancing disaster preparedness at the grassroots, and will benefit farmers and villagers across the country.
Localised forecasting – It is based on gram panchayat boundaries data provided by the Panchayati Raj Ministry.
Target – It will be available for nearly all 2.6 lakh panchayats across India
Dissemination of information – It will be made through Panchayat Raj Ministry’s digital platforms like
- Mausamgram of IMD
- e-GramSwaraj of Ministry of Panchayati Raj
- Meri Panchayat app of Ministry of Panchayati Raj

What are the features of localised weather forecasting?

SMS alerts on weather warning – It will also be sent to Panchayat representatives regarding extreme weather events like cyclones and heavy rainfall, ensuring immediate action to protect lives, crops, and property.
Hourly forecasts – It can see data on the current temperature, wind speed, cloud cover (in percentage), rainfall, and relative humidity at the level of gram panchayats.
Five-day forecasts – It will be of minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall, cloud cover, wind direction, and wind speed, and an overall weather forecast.
Coverage – It is available at the district and block levels.
Accuracy – It currently has the ability to forecast weather events over a 12 km x 12 km area
- Experimental forecasts – For 3 km x 3 km grids
- Future objective – To make hyper-local forecasts for 1 km x 1 km areas.

Mausamgram

It is a noble initiative aiming at “HAR HAR MAUSAM HAR GHAR
MAUSAM” (weather information at each house hold at any time).
Developed by – Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
Aim – To provide location specific forecast at Gram Panchayat level.
Weather forecasts
- hourly up to 36 hours
- 3-hourly from 36 hrs to next five days
- Every 6-hourly from next 5 days to 10 days.
It will be further augmented with the implementation of Mission Mausam.

e-GramSwaraj

Launched by – Ministry of Panchayat Raj
Objectives - It helps to prepare and execute Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
It will ensure real time monitoring and accountability.

Meri Panchayat app

Launched by – Ministry of Panchayat Raj
Objectives – It aims to create a unified mobile governance platform for rural areas, including residents, functionaries, and Panchayati Raj Institution System stakeholders.
It seeks to streamline and consolidate various functions and information scattered across different portals into one cohesive mobile platform, thus serving the varied needs of Gram Panchayats.

Mission Mausam is a two-year initiative by the Indian government to improve India's weather forecasting and climate resilience.

How does it help the public?

Efficient disaster management – It will also reduce the loss of life and property from the meteorological disasters.
Promote sustainable agriculture – It empowers the cultivators to make critical decisions in agriculture, such as planning sowing, irrigation, and harvesting activities
Enhance farmer’s livelihood – It can ensure better returns and increase their profits.
Strengthen grassroots governance – It improves administration and ensures tailor made approaches in information dissemination.
Enable climate-resilient rural population – It enable rural communities to better plan agricultural activities and prepare for weather-related risks.

There are 2.55 lakh village panchayats across the country, with resident populations of a few thousands on average.

References

Chalmers Todd 6 days

That's a fascinating idea! Bringing localized weather forecasting down to the Gram Panchayat level could be a game-changer for farmers. I remember my grandfather struggling to decide when to harvest his wheat, relying only on traditional knowledge and radio forecasts that were often inaccurate for our specific village. More precise, timely data would have saved him a lot of heartache and potential crop loss. Thinking about how technology could help rural communities like that makes me wonder if anyone's explored using interactive game-based models. Something like Crazy Cattle 3D, but adapted for climate prediction, could be both engaging and educational.

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